1) Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of multimedia content distribution, and more particularly, to a system and method for delivering multimedia content from a central database or repository to remotely distributed users over a network, such as the Internet.
2) Description of the Related Art
Multimedia applications have become an important driver for the growth of both the personal computer market and the Internet, indicating their popularity with users. It is apparent that many people enjoy listening to music or watching video programs via their computers, either in a standalone mode or, often, while performing other functions with the computer.
In the office environment, an increasing number of people work with a personal computer (PC). In that case, while working at their computers some workers may play music selections from a compact disc (CD), using the CD-ROM drive and audio processing components present in most new PCs. Also, someone working at home on their personal computer may listen to music while they work. Moreover, as more home computers are equipped and connected with hi-fidelity speaker systems, people may use a home computer as a audio music system, even when they are not using the computer for any other purposes.
However, it is sometimes the case that a person wants to hear one or more particular songs for which they do not presently have a copy of the recording. Also, it is often the case that a person wants to hear one or more music selections from a particular recording before making a purchase decision. And sometimes an individual may just want to hear a collection of songs from one particular artist. In other words, listeners desire the freedom and flexibility to choose exactly what songs they hear, in the order they choose, and at times of their own choosing.
Of course radio stations play music selections to which an individual may listen. Some PCs are equipped with radio tuners so that an individual may listen to broadcast radio stations via his or her PC. Moreover, many broadcast radio stations also transmit their broadcast audio signal over the Internet. And other specialized "Internet radio stations" have been developed which transmit a radio-like audio signal over the Internet only from a web site to which listeners connect. Thus, individuals may listen to many radio stations via a personal computer which is connected to the Internet.
For example, one advertisement-sponsored Internet web site known to the inventors, SPINNER.COM, allows a computer user to select from and listen to multiple Internet radio stations each of which is tailored to a particular musical format. SPINNER.COM uses its own downloadable music player for listeners to connect over the Internet with streaming audio servers associated with the SPINNER.COM radio stations. SPINNER.COM earns revenue to support its music service from Internet "banner ads" which appear in the music player window. Although a user may set the SPINNER.COM music player to remain on a topmost level of windows displayed on the user's computer display screen, the user may also allow the SPINNER.COM music player to be minimized or covered with other open windows on a user's computer display screen, so that the advertisements may not actually be viewed by the listener. In other words, the display of advertisements on the user's computer display screen is fully within the user's control. So the value of the advertisements to the advertisers is diminished.
But with Internet radio stations, as with AM and FM radio stations, the songs which are played are chosen by a program director and can not be tailored to each individual listener's choices. Neither broadcast nor Internet radio stations meet the desire for total flexibility of music choice by a listener.
Other Internet music services have been developed which allow a listener more freedom to choose the music selections which he or she wants to hear. Internet music services such as RADIO SONICNET and RADIOMOI.COM allow a listener a limited capability to program his or her own "customized" radio station.
RADIO SONICNET allows a listener to select and rank musical artists and musical categories of interest to the listener to create a customized radio station. RADIO SONICNET then provides the listener with a list of musical artists whose music will be played on the radio station. Individual song selections, play frequency, and song order are all determined by the RADIO SONICNET music service without any direct listener control. To create a "custom" radio station, a listener interacts with musical preference forms supplied to his or her computer's existing Internet web browser over an Internet connection with the RADIO SONICNET web site. All songs are delivered from the RADIO SONICNET server(s) to the listener's computer over an Internet connection with the listener's web browser, and are played on the listener's computer by one or more plug-ins or helper applications associated with the web browser. RADIO SONICNET earns revenue to support its music service from Internet "banner ads" which are displayed in the listener's browser window on the user's computer display screen while music selections are streamed to his or her computer. However, the user's web browser may be minimized or covered with other open windows on the computer display screen, so that the ads may not be viewed by the user. So, once again, the value of the advertisements to the advertisers is diminished.
Meanwhile, RADIOMOI.COM allows a listener to search a database of available songs by song title, artist, etc., and to add particular songs to a playlist for a "custom" radio station for that listener. The database of songs is divided into non-interactive and interactive songs. Once the listener has completed his or her playlist, he or she must submit it to the RADIOMOI music service for approval. The music service then checks the playlist against a predetermined set of rules and informs the listener whether the playlist has been approved or rejected. A playlist of only interactive songs is automatically approved. If the playlist is approved, then the listener may request that the music service begin streaming the songs on the playlist to the listener's computer via the Internet. However, the playlist may be rejected by the music service for one or more reasons, such as having too many consecutive songs by a same artist or from a same album or CD recording. In that case, the listener must edit his or her playlist to conform to the RADIOMOI music service's rules or to contain only interactive songs.
To create a "custom" radio station with RADIOMOI, a listener interacts with song and artist selection forms supplied to his or her computer's existing Internet web browser over an Internet connection with the RADIOMOI.COM web site. All songs are delivered from the RADIOMOI.COM server(s) to the listener's computer over an Internet connection with the listener's Internet web browser, and are played on the listener's computer by one or more plug-ins or helper applications associated with the web browser. RADIOMOI.COM earns revenue to support its music service from Internet "banner ads" which are displayed in the Internet browser window on the user's computer display screen while music selections are streamed to his or her computer. However, as with RADIO SONICNET, the user's web browser may be minimized or covered with other open windows on a user's computer display screen, so that the ads may not be viewed by the listener.
Accordingly, all of these previous multimedia delivery systems and methods suffer from several disadvantages. For example, none of the previous systems is well adapted to providing an effective advertisement vehicle to support a free Internet music service. In these previous systems, the music player or Internet browser through which the music is being delivered can be minimized or covered on a user's computer display screen by other windows which are open for other active programs. So any ads which are being delivered for display through the music player are not necessarily visible to the user and may not be viewed by the user. This diminishes the value of the advertisements to sponsors, and therefore reduces the amount a sponsor will pay to have the advertisement delivered. In turn, the reduced advertising revenues limit the available funds for purchasing music licensing rights, distribution bandwidth, hardware, and other resources for supporting a free Internet music service.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method of multimedia content delivery over a computer network which provides increased value to advertisers. It would also be advantageous to provide a system and method of multimedia content delivery over a computer network which provides increased flexibility to users. It would still further be advantageous to provide such a system and method which can deliver multimedia content over the Internet. Other and further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.